The Black Excellence Scholarship recipient wants to connect with patients to improve health equity in underserved communities.
That’s from an essay that earned Faith Emovon David the Empower Scholarship Fund’s Black Excellence Scholarship. She wrote of her motivation to address health disparities rooted in socioeconomic conditions and healthcare experiences for the Black population. As a first-generation U.S. citizen, her commitment began long before she was a third-year medical student at Ross University School of Medicine.
Emovon David’s family emigrated from Nigeria to Montreal, Canada, and later to Minnesota after she was born. When her family moved to a predominantly white community as a teenager, she was exposed to the same socioeconomic conditions and health disparities that still inspire her today.
When she reflects on her childhood and the beginnings of her aspirations to become a doctor, an interaction with her pediatrician stands out.
“She told me if you’re ever interested in healthcare, we need you,” she says. “To serve diverse populations, we need diverse doctors.”
Today, Emovon David is in her clinical rotations with Ross Med’s affiliate partner University of Maryland Medical Center, working among care providers who look like her and inspire her to continue pursuing her dream career just as she is.
Empowered to Increase Representation
Addressing representation in healthcare is something that has motivated Emovon David throughout her journey. She was one of the first executive members of Black Female Doctors, a student organization at Ross Med that creates connections and collaborative opportunities for Black students. The group also educates the campus community about the impact of Black women in medicine and is actively building a mentorship program.
“It is necessary for us to have that space for us to feel safe, but also to have that mentorship from someone who has gone through this journey before us and can help pull each other through,” she says.
Only 5.2% of active physicians identify as Black or African American, according to the 2023 US Physician Workforce Data Dashboard. And just 2.8% of physicians are Black women, says a study published in 2021 in the National Library of Medicine.
About the Empower Scholarship Fund: A Beacon of Opportunity
Since its inception, the Empower Scholarship Fund has been a beacon of opportunity for students striving for academic excellence and personal growth. With a total of 2,731 scholarships amounting to over $5.13 million offered in the past seven years, the fund has been instrumental in shaping the futures of aspiring scholars.
For Emovon David, it’s more than just a financial impact. The Black Excellence Scholarship brings awareness to the underrepresentation of people of color in the medical field and supports Black women and men committed to increasing representation through their pursuit of excellence in education.
“It's a huge honor being seen and valued on my chosen career path. I have been working hard and there are obstacles along the way, but I think that shows the perseverance it takes to achieve excellence.”
Learn more about the Empower Scholarship Fund.
For more information, email the Adtalem Global Communications Team: adtalemmedia@adtalem.com.
